Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey sweep, May 28th

Armenia

1. Razmik Zohrabian, deputy head of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), told a press conference today that early elections were out of the question. The elections are scheduled to be held in two years.

2. Angered by official plans to nominate Matthew Bryza as the new ambassador to Azerbaijan, the largest US Armenian group has called on U.S. senators to "scrutinize Matthew Bryza 's diplomatic record" before voting on his nomination.

3. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Karine Kazinian said yesterday that the EU resolution concerning the Nagorno Karabakh province is not bidding and that Armenia will soon make a counter offer.

4. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew up a “blacklist” of foreign citizens, who observed the NKR parliamentary elections on May 23, 2010. All of them will be rejected entry visas to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan

1. A gas deal between Turkey and Azerbaijan is expected to be signed when Azeri President Ilham Aliyev visits Turkey on June 7, diplomatic sources said. The deal would lay the groundwork for Azeri gas to flow to Europe, giving a boost to the European Union-backed Nabucco Pipeline project, which was conceived largely to cut Europe's dependence on Russia's gas.

2.  Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Azerbaijan's Defence Minister, Colonel General Safar Abiyev discussed yesterday in Moscow the state and prospects of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation.

3. Azerbaijan is celebrating today its independence.

Georgia

1. Vano Merabishvili, a powerful interior minister, said two days before the local elections “I am sure there will be calm and order at all the polling stations and voters will be able to cast their ballot freely for a party, which they support”.

2. Georgian Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze hailed the election campaign ahead of local elections as a step forward over previous elections and called on the voters to turn out at polling

stations on May 30 : “No matter which political party you will vote for, which candidate you will elect; it is important that you participate in the elections”.

3. President Saakashvili will pay an official visit to France on June 6-8 and meet his French counterpart Nicola Sarkozy, the Georgian President’s administration said on Thursday. Before traveling to France, Saakashvili will pay an official visit to Romania on June 2-3.

Turkey

1. The International Monetary Fund urged Turkish authorities Friday to accelerate the withdrawal of stimulus measures given the economy's faster-than-expected recovery. The IMF expects Turkey's economy to expand at about a 6.25% pace this year, then moderate to about 4% growth after that.

2. The Constitutional Court will begin discussing the controversial constitutional amendments package on June 3.

3. The activists comprising the "Free Gaza" flotilla of ships are expected to reach the waters around Gaza Saturday afternoon, the campaign organizers have said.

4. The Israel Navy has started preparing for the arrival of the Gaza aid flotilla by sending ships to counter the convoy in the Israeli-controlled waters. Despite reports that the aid convoy will be delayed due to a technical problem, the Israel Defense Forces are preparing for its arrival as planned.

5. The Turkish prime minister said on Friday that world peace could never be ensured by proliferation of nuclear weapons.

6. Turkey has named foreign policy expert Hakan Fidan with close knowledge of Iran as its new top spy, as the country linking Europe with the Middle East adapts its security priorities to deal with external threats.

7. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says world powers must 'destroy their nuclear arsenal" if they want their stance on the Iranian nuclear program to be "persuasive". "The demand to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon comes from those who possess nuclear weapons," Erdogan said during a UN summit in Brazil.

8. It has been stated that a soldier was injured due to the explosion which occurred in the early hours ofthe morning during the operation carried out by the Turkish army on the suburbs of Savur/Mardin.

9. Romanian Minister of Justice Catalin Predoiuand and his counterpart from the Republic of Turkey Sadullah Ergin signed on Thursday, 27 May, signed an economic cooperation protocol between the two states.

10. President Abdullah Gul of the Republic of Turkey received yesterday Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for

Military Affairs who is currently on a visit to the Republic of Turkey. During the audience, they reviewed relations between the two countries and ways of strengthening them.

11. Brazil's state-run energy company, Petroleo Brasileiro signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey's national oil company, Turkish Petroleum Corp., or TPAO, aiming to expand deep-water exploration research in the Black Sea region of Turkey, the company said late Thursday in a statement.

12.Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul will travel to Macedonia on Sunday, May 30, where he will attend a conference on south-east Europe and its integration with NATO in Ohri, Macedonia.

13. The U.S. Institute of Peace said in its report on the Iraqi-Turkish relations that the Turkish role is very important in the stability of the whole region.The report examines the change in relations and what led to the improvements, and argues why sustained attention is needed to prevent events from undermining the progress achieved to date.

14. Moscow traffic police detained a Turk in Moscow who is on the international wanted list on suspicion of terrorism, a police source said on Friday.

15. A high-ranking official of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said late Thursday that despite the ongoing Turkish armed operations against them, they still continued their unilateral ceasefire.

16. Azerbaijani Interior Minister, Colonel-General Ramil Usubov received the Chief of Turkish Gendarmerie Command, Colonel-General Mustafa Biyik, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, the press service of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan reported. Usubov told about the considerable progress made since the signing of an inter-governmental protocol on cooperation between the Turkish Gendarmerie Command and the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, signed on October 31, 1997.

17. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Brasilia on Thursday that the moment is not right to discuss sanctions against Iran.

18. Belgrade and Sarajevo have asked Turkey to help out in the "crisis" which occurred after cancellation of Haris Silajdzic's visit, daily Danas writes. According to the Belgrade newspaper, they "each did so with their own interpretation of events". Earlier this week, the Bosnian Muslim politician and Bosnian Presidency chairman cancelled his scheduled visit to Belgrade after he was informed he would not be able to visit convicted war criminal Ilija Jurisic in prison.

Armenia

1. Armenia's Ruling Party Spurns Talk Of Early Elections

http://www.rferl.org/content/Armenias_Ruling_Party_Spurns_Talk_Of_Early_Elections/2054710.html

5.27.10YEREVAN -- A senior member of Armenia's ruling party has downplayed the possibility of early elections, which have been called for by the opposition, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

Razmik Zohrabian, deputy head of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), told a press conference today that early elections were out of the question.

"Only two years remain before the [regularly scheduled] elections and [the opposition] badly needs to be getting ready for these elections -- to be making some noise, staging rallies, in short starting an early campaign," Zohrabian said.

Zohrabian said the outcomes of the most recent local elections in some regions of Armenia reassured his party of its strong chances to win in the next parliamentary elections slated for 2012.

The HHK currently holds 63 seats and enjoys the support of five nonaligned lawmakers in the 131-seat National Assembly.

In the current coalition government, the HHK shares power with two minority parties, Prosperous Armenia and Orinats Yerkir (Law-Based State).

Zohrabian also reaffirmed that Armenia's current president and leader of the HHK, Serzh Sarkisian, would be the party's candidate in the next presidential election, planned for 2013. He said Sarkisian had "no serious rival" at the moment.

2. US Armenians criticize Obama nominee for Azerbaijan post

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=armenians-attack-obamas-envoy-pick-for-azerbaijan-2010-05-27

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Angered by official plans to nominate Matthew Bryza as the new ambassador to Azerbaijan, the largest U.S. Armenian group has called on U.S. senators to "scrutinize Bryza's diplomatic record" before voting on his nomination.

"We continue to have an array of concerns about Mr. Bryza's conduct of U.S. diplomacy – as a National Security Council official, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and as the U.S. negotiator in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process – and, as such, look forward to a vigorous process of advice and consent by the Senate," Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, or ANCA, on Wednesday.

"We look to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the full U.S. Senate to carefully scrutinize Mr. Bryza's record, his formal testimony, and responses to the inquiries that he will face during his confirmation process," Hamparian said, according to an ANCA statement.

ANCA urged senators to grill Bryza over his past and present-day views on a number of issues, including what the ANCA calls the "Armenian genocide" and "Turkey and Azerbaijan's blockade of Armenia and the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."

Last summer, "ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian called specific attention to a number of Bryza’s public statements, including the application of flawed and one-sided" principles as a basis for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, ANCA said.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave inside Azerbaijan, along with parts of Azerbaijan proper, have been under Armenian occupation since a war in the early 1990s after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the former Soviet Union.

The territory’s unilateral independence is not recognized by the international community.

Bryza's selection

The White House announced Tuesday U.S. President Barack Obama’s nomination of Bryza as ambassador to Baku. According to procedures, Bryza must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming his appointment.

Bryza is presently serving as deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. During the first term of former President George W. Bush between 2001 and 2005, he served as the director for Europe and Eurasia at the National Security Council at the White House. Previously, he was the special advisor to the president and the secretary of state on Caspian Basin energy diplomacy. He has also held diplomatic positions in Russia and Poland.

In recent years, pro-Armenian senators have repeatedly intervened in ambassadorial nominations.

In the most memorable case, Richard Hoagland, a Bush nominee for ambassador to Yerevan, was unable to gain the Senate's confirmation for the post, as Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a strong supporter of the Armenian cause, blocked his nomination three years ago on grounds that he had failed to qualify World War I-era killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as "genocide."

Eventually, the White House had to withdraw Hoagland's nomination, and Bush instead

nominated Marie Yovanovitch for the post. Another pro-Armenian senator, Barbara Boxer, then temporarily blocked her nomination, but later withdrew her objection.

3. Armenia will make a counter offer on European Parliament’s resolution

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/politics/news/49227/Armenia_will_make_a_counter_offer_on_European_Parliaments_resolutionMay 27, 2010 - 19:42 AMT 14:42 GMTPanARMENIAN.Net - I believe, after RA President’s return from Brussels, European Parliament’s resolution 2216 will be discussed again, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Karine Kazinian noted.As she stated at the sitting of RA NA Committee for European Integration, “Beside points raising concern, the resolution also contains stipulations supporting Armenia’s interests: peaceful settlement of Karabakh issue and intermediary status for NKR.” As Karine Kazinian noted, RA MFA was initially familiarised with resolution contents.RA Deputy Foreign Minister characterised the resolution as non-binding, adding that Armenia will make a counter offer.Heritage parliamentary group member Stepan Safaryan, in turn, noted that passivity of Armenian side during the adoption of resolution 2213 was caused by low financing for propaganda in Armenia. He expressed reluctance to witness development of events where Armenia would face a choice between European Integration and NKR.

4. Azerbaijan not ready for Karabakh conflict resolution

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/politics/news/49238/Azerbaijan_not_ready_for_Karabakh_conflict_resolutionMay 28, 2010 - 15:36 AMT 10:36 GMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew up a “blacklist” of foreign citizens, who observed the NKR parliamentary elections on May 23, 2010. All of them will be rejected entry visas to Azerbaijan. The list includes five Russian parliamentarians: Igor Chernyshenko, Kirill Cherkasov, Tatyana Volozhinskaya, Maxim Mishenko and Konstantin Zatulin, as well as international observer Galina Ratnikova, public and political activist Victor Sheynis and expert of the Foundation of Strategic Culture Andrey Areshev. French, German, Argentine and other countries citizens are also on the list.

Chairman of the Board of the Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan said that such tough reaction towards the presence of international observers in the NKR parliamentary elections proves that currently Azerbaijan is not ready for the Karabakh conflict resolution to be based on compromises and mutual concessions.

“If Azerbaijan uses the language of ultimatums and sanctions with respect to citizens of such influential states, as Russia, France, Germany, Argentina, Slovakia and Czech Republic, then NKR citizens’ destiny, if they again appear under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, is unclear. This demarche is another evidence of the Azerbaijani leadership’s inability to recognize political and other rights of Armenians residing in Karabakh. Meanwhile, their statements about readiness to provide Armenians with a high level of autonomy are nothing but propaganda show for “naive” representatives of the international community,” Grigoryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

According to him, one could “conceive” Azerbaijan’s behavior only if it rejected entry visas for those Turkish parliamentarians and citizens, who were observers in Kosovo elections over recent five years, as well as for a Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey, who visited Abkhazia in 2009. “Otherwise, the clamor raised by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs is called “policy of dual standards,” stressed Grigoryan.

Azerbaijan

1. Turkish-Azeri gas deal to be signed June 7: sources

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=59155

Friday, 28 May 2010 11:10

A long-awaited gas deal between Turkey and Azerbaijan is expected to be signed when Azeri President Ilham Aliyev visits Turkey on June 7, diplomatic sources said.A long-awaited gas deal between Turkey and Azerbaijan is expected to be signed when Azeri President Ilham Aliyev visits Turkey on June 7, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

The deal would lay the groundwork for Azeri gas to flow to Europe, giving a boost to the European Union-backed Nabucco Pipeline project, which was conceived largely to cut Europe's dependence on Russia's gas.

"Aliyev is expected to come on June 7, which is when the gas deals are to be signed," an Azeri diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.

The agreement, two years in the making, was to be signed earlier this month when Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan went to Baku, but Aliyev said there were still details that needed to be worked out.

The deal is expected to cover the price of Turkey's gas imports from Azerbaijan as well as determine how much Turkey would charge Azerbaijan to transit its gas to Europe.

That could set the stage for potential commercial talks between the Nabucco shareholder companies and Azerbaijan over supplies for the 31 billion cubic metre pipeline, seen costing 7.9

billion euros ($9.68 billion).

The pipeline, which has yet to secure supplies, is competing with Russia's South Stream pipeline project to feed Europe's gas market, which is expected to be hungry for new imports around 2015, when a current gas glut is expected to end.

Negotiations have been complicated by political tensions between the allies over a bid by Turkey and Armenia, that backs occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh, to mend ties.

The rapprochement collapsed last month.

For Turkey the deal will clear up the amount Ankara will give Azerbaijan in back payments for gas consumed since 2008, when the contract price was due for revision.

The agreement will also determine the volume of gas Turkey will receive from the second phase of production from Azerbaijan's Shakh-Deniz gas field, seen coming on line between 2014 and 2017.

The field is operated by BP and Statoil.

2.  Azerbaijan, Russia’s Defence Ministers discuss security in Caucasus

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/enforcement/1695248.html

27.05.2010 14:26 Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Azerbaijan's Defence Minister, Colonel General Safar Abiyev today at a meeting in Moscow discussed the state and prospects of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation, RIA Novosti reported.

Safar Abiyev is on a working visit to Moscow.

Russian Defence Ministry spokeswoman, lieutenant colonel Irina Kovalchuk said that Anatoly Serdyukov's working visit with Azerbaijan's Defence Minister, Colonel General Safar Abiyev was held.

"During the meeting the sides discussed state and prospects of military and military-technical cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as issues related to security in the Caucasus region," Kovalchuk said.

The last meeting between defence ministers of Russia and Azerbaijan was held May 11, when Anatoly Serdyukov arrived in Azerbaijan with an official visit. At that time, the ministers discussed the prospects of military-technical cooperation between the two countries, military-political situation in the region and the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

3. Azerbaijan marks Day of Republic

http://en.trend.az/news/official/chronicle/1694783.html

28.05.2010 00:01 Today Azerbaijan marks the Day of the Republic.

Azerbaijan was the colony of Russia for along period of time. But, the Azerbaijani people always struggled for freedom and independence.

The 20th century is known in the history not only as the Age of science and techniques, but also the age of freeing of the people from colony and establishment of national states.

The revolution in 1917 in Russia put cut-line to the ruling of the Romanovs family and Russian Empire collapsed. Nations had to determine their faith. Using this opportunity, patriotic sons of Azerbaijan declared the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in May 28, 1918.

The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic was the first democratic republic in the whole East. ADR war a parliamentary state. It also had state attributes- the flag, the anthem and the arms. Three coloured flag symbolized Turkism, Islamism and European tendency. The ADR existed only 23 months. In April 28, 1920 the 11th army of the Bolsheviks occupied Azerbaijan and the Republic collapsed.

The Day of the Republic May 28 - the day of regaining state independence has been celebrated as the state holiday since 1990.

Georgia

1. Merabishvili: Elections will be Held Calmly

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=22349

Vano Merabishvili, a powerful interior minister, said two days before the local elections that he was confident the May 30 polls would be held calmly and no unrests would follow the elections.

“I am sure there will be calm and order at all the polling stations and voters will be able to cast their ballot freely for a party, which they support,” Merabishvili said in an interview with Russian radio station, Ekho Moskvy, on May 28.

He said that those who had been predicting Kyrgyz-type of developments in Georgia after the elections, “are apparently not informed” about the current situation in Georgia.

“I do not know other country in the region where the situation is calmer than it is in Georgia,” Merabishvili said.

He also said that situation in the areas adjacent to breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia remains as “tense as it was a year ago” and there was no improvement.

“Bandits and occupants are standing there [in the breakaway regions], all the time trying to shoot, fuel up tensions and to steal property,” Merabishvili said. “Decisions there [in breakaway regions] are taken by bandits and occupants. Their only goal is to destabilize situation in Georgia… Russia has occupied parts of Georgia and continues actions directed against Georgia.”

Asked how far Russia could go in its efforts to destabilize Georgia, Merabishvili responded: “As far as it can… It’s a fact that Georgia is the enemy number one for the Russian authorities.”

Asked about his opponents’ claims that Georgia had been turned into “police state”, Merabishvili responded that the police in Georgia enjoyed with 82% confidence rate.

“Effectiveness of the police is very high and all the rest… is simply propaganda of our enemies, who want to blacken the Georgian democracy,” Merabishvili said and added that there was not a single case to back the critics’ claims about the police state.

2. Parliamentary Speaker Calls on Voters to Participate in Elections

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=22348 Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 28 May.'10 / 15:21     Georgian Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze hailed the election campaign ahead of local elections as a step forward over previous elections and called on the voters to turn out at polling stations on May 30.

“No matter which political party you will vote for, which candidate you will elect; it is important that you participate in the elections,” Davit Bakradze said on May 28. “Your participation means that you take part in further improvement of our country’s international image.”

He said that the current election process “significantly differs” from previous elections, since “there are significantly fewer personal attacks, swearing and accusations.”

“We hear concrete promises and issue-based discussions from all candidates … I believe that it is a step ahead towards the development of political culture in Georgia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zurab Kharatishvili, the chairman of the Central Election Commission, said on May 28, that the election administration was “technically, financially and organizationally” ready for holding the elections.

“I think these elections will be better, more democratic and more transparent than previous ones,” he told reporters after meeting with the inter-faction parliamentary group on elections on May 28. “And the next elections will be even better than the May 30 elections.”

3. Saakashvili to Visit Romania, FranceCivil Georgia, Tbilisi / 27 May.'10 / 16:32

President Saakashvili will pay an official visit to France on June 6-8 and meet his French counterpart Nicola Sarkozy, the Georgian President’s administration said on Thursday.

Before traveling to France, Saakashvili will pay an official visit to Romania on June 2-3, according to the president’s administration. The visit to Romania was initially planned a month ago, but was rescheduled upon the Romanian side’s request, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

 

Turkey

1. IMF Lifts Turkey 2010 Growth Forecast To Around 6.25% From 5.2%

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201005281600dowjonesdjonline000586&title=imf-lifts-turkey-2010-growth-forecast-to-around-625-from-52

5.28.10

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The International Monetary Fund urged Turkish authorities Friday to accelerate the withdrawal of stimulus measures given the economy's faster-than-expected recovery.

The IMF expects Turkey's economy to expand at about a 6.25% pace this year, then moderate to about 4% growth after that. The latest forecasts are well above estimates given in April for growth rates of 5.2% in 2010 and 3.4% in 2011.

"To prevent the emergence of an unbalanced and unsustainable growth path, policy stimulus injected to respond to the crisis should be withdrawn and exit plans accelerated," the IMF said in a preliminary staff report as part of the annual Article IV review of the Turkish economy.

The Turkish economy relies too much on domestic consumption, while facing additional risks from inflation pressures and capital inflows, the report said.

Although the central bank's exit strategy is following the appropriate sequencing--withdrawing liquidity by raising reserve requirements followed by policy rate increases--those moves should be brought forward as part of a " broad-based monetary tightening," the fund said.

"Simultaneously stepping up foreign currency purchases would rebuild reserve cover more quickly and help alleviate excessive upward exchange rate pressures," it said.

Monetary policy tightening may have to be even more aggressive if fiscal consolidation efforts fall short, the IMF said. It recommended that government spending should adhere to the 2010 budget proposal, while avoiding any policies that would reduce revenue.

The economy faces both upside and downside risks. A strong performance in emerging markets could boost capital inflows and stoke inflation, while the troubles in the euro area could hurt Turkey's exports and economic activity, the fund said.

2. Turkey's top court to discuss reform package June 3

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=top-court-to-dsicuss-reform-package-june-3-2010-05-28

Friday, May 28 2010 22:17 GMT+2Your time is 14:19:45The Constitutional Court will begin discussing the controversial constitutional amendments package on June 3, reported private NTV television Friday.

Responding to questions from the media on whether the court’s decision can be available before the referendum on Sept. 12, Haşim Kılıç, president of the Constitutional Court said Thursday: “We will convene next week to discuss the issue. We have not made our decision yet.”

The Republican People’s Party, or CHP, applied to the Constitutional Court for an annulment of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP’s, constitutional amendments that propose radical changes in the judiciary.

The referendum will be held Sept. 12, provided the top court does not accept the CHP’s application.

3. 'Gaza flotilla' to arrive tomorrow afternoon

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=176752

05/28/2010 14:34The left-wing activists comprising the "Free Gaza" flotilla of ships are expected to reach the waters around Gaza Saturday afternoon, the campaign organizers have said.

The eight-ship flotilla is expected to be intercepted by the Navy.

4. Israel Navy prepares to counter aid convoy despite reports of delay

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-navy-prepares-to-counter-aid-convoy-despite-reports-of-delay-1.292789

Published 14:51 28.05.10Latest update 14:51 28.05.10The Israel Navy has started preparing for the arrival of the Gaza aid flotilla by sending ships to counter the convoy in the Israeli-controlled waters. Despite reports that the aid convoy will be delayed due to a technical problem, the Israel Defense Forces are preparing for its arrival as planned.

 The Israel Navy headquarters reported that eight ships have already started sailing toward Gaza, and that they are expecting to confront the aid convoy on Friday night or at the latest Saturday morning.Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the Freedom Flotilla  violent propaganda against Israel's sovereignty, Israel Radio reported.

"The aid convoy is violent propaganda against Israel, and Israel will not allow its sovereignty to be threatened in any way, in any place - land, air or sea," Lieberman said during a foreign ministry briefing on the aid convoy's progress towards the shores of Gaza.

"There is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip," Liebeman added. "Despite Hamas' war crimes against Israeli citizens and the thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns, Israel continues to respond in the most humane way possible."

Lieberman stressed that Israel permitted thousands of tons of products to enter the Gaza Strip on a daily basis.

Organizers of an eight-ship flotilla said Friday they continued to head for Gaza despite Israel's warnings to intercept them as soon as they enter Israeli-controlled waters off the coast.

Israel's Foreign Ministry held meetings with ambassadors of European countries from where the ships are sailing, urging them not to cooperate and calling the campaign - aimed at drawing attention to the stringent Israeli economic embargo of Gaza - a "blatant provocation."

The organizers had ignored Israeli offers for the flotilla to dock in its southern port of Ashdod, just north of Gaza, and to transport the 10,000 tons of aid to the coastal enclave from there, it said.

Foreign Ministry officials said Cyprus authorities notified them that Nicosia would not allow the pro-Palestinian activists to dock on the island.

But Audrey Bomse, a spokeswoman for the Free Gaza movement, one of the organizers, told the German Press-Agency DPA the flotilla never planned to dock in Cyprus because of the heavy pressure by Israel on the Cypriot government.

The ships that had sailed from various ports over the past week were in the process of hooking up in international waters and scheduled to arrive off the coasts of Gaza on Saturday afternoon, she said. The ships were now sailing not far from Cyprus.

Israel has said it will overtake the ships as soon as they enter a 20-mile Israeli-controlled zone off Gaza. They will then be towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where the foreign nationals will be handed over to Immigration Police for deportation abroad, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

The IDF on Thursday completed its preparations for countering the international aid flotilla. Israel announced that it will prevent the ships from reaching their destination, and warned that it will not hesitate to make use of limited force if it becomes necessary.

Israel considers the effort by international left-wing elements and Islamic organizations as intentional provocation under the guise of humanitarian aid.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Ministry Director General Yossi Gal held a round of explanatory calls with foreign ministers from countries whose citizens are participating in the flotilla, and also with foreign diplomats yesterday. The Israeli message has been that the activists are welcome to bring the humanitarian aid to the port of Ashdod, where it will be examined and if found suitable will be permitted to enter the Gaza Strip through the land crossings. If the activists try to break the siege, they will be arrested.

Barak and Gal insisted that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

IDF sources say that a clash with the activists on the ships will produce bad press from Israel's point of view - but they believe that this is inevitable in any eventuality.

The instruction from the political leadership to the Israel Navy is to stop the flotilla from entering the Gaza Strip. From the point of view of the navy, a successful mission would be if they manage to perform their duty in a controlled manner, with minimal use of force.

The flotilla with some 700 passengers is the largest yet attempt to break the Israeli-imposed embargo on the Gaza Strip.

5. Turkish Premier Says World Peace Cannot Be Ensured By Nuclear Weapons

http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/1695835.html

28.05.2010 20:38

The Turkish prime minister said on Friday that world peace could never be ensured by proliferation of nuclear weapons, Anadolu reported.

Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and he met in Tehran almost two weeks ago for world peace.

"Brazil says 'no' to nuclear weapons in its constitution, and we do have such an intention either, and we do not want nuclear weapons in our region," Erdogan told the Third Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Erdogan said all countries that did not want Iran to own nuclear weapons in fact did own those weapons.

"Let them destroy nuclear weapons in their territories, and give a good news for peace," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey's aim was to see a political order in the world in which no one was excluded, badly treated, or humiliated.

The Turkish prime minister said he believed everybody, the eastern and the western, should have a place on the table, and therefore he considered the gathering in Iran a diplomatic victory.

With the agreement signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Motaki and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in Tehran on May 17, Iran committed to give the 1200kg of 3.5% enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for 20% enriched uranium it will receive from Western countries to be used as fuel in the nuclear research reactor in Tehran.

Tehran will receive the enriched uranium from the Vienna Group, comprising of the United States, France, Russia and IAEA, in Turkey.

6. Turkey appoints top spy as security threats shiftIbon VillelabeitiaANKARAFri May 28, 2010 10:49am EDThttp://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64R3GM20100528

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has named a foreign policy expert with close knowledge of Iran as its new top spy, as the country linking Europe with the Middle East adapts its security priorities to deal with external threats.

World  |  Turkey

Hakan Fidan's appointment this week as head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) reflects a shift in focus from domestic issues such as Kurdish separatism to transnational threats such as al Qaeda and nuclear proliferation.

"Turkey is an international player, so it is matching its intelligence-gathering activities to its new role," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based security analyst. "Turkey has been generally introspective but as it gets more involved outside its borders, the nature of the threat has changed."

Jenkins said bombings in Istanbul in 2003 by al Qaeda, in which more than 60 people were killed, were a "wake-up call" for an intelligence community which until then had mostly focused on separatist guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Sources said Fidan, 42, who has worked as MIT deputy undersecretary and as a foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, has played a busy though little-publicized role in Ankara's mediation efforts between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, accompanying Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Tehran during many of his visits.

Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, has in recent years raised its profile on the global stage, becoming a major player in the Eurasian theater.

Lying next to the lands around the Gulf and Caspian Sea, where most of the world's oil and gas is found, Turkey holds geostrategic value in a conflict-prone region. As part of a concerted strategy, it has stretched its foreign policy reach beyond traditional Western partners to the Caucasus, Balkans, Russia, Iran, Central Asia, the Arab world and southeast Asia.

TRUSTED BY ERDOGAN

Considered an expert on Central Asia and the Middle East, Fidan advocated in his doctoral thesis the need to create two separate bodies to deal with domestic and foreign intelligence.

"He is somebody Erdogan trusts to reorganize the MIT," Murat Yetkin, Ankara bureau chief for Radikal daily, told Reuters.

Created in 1965, the MIT is in charge of gathering intelligence from internal and external sources. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Erdogan said he wanted it to "become more active in foreign intelligence."

Turkey has long perceived as its most pressing security threats Islamic groups at home and PKK violence.

"When (former president and prime minister Suleyman) Demirel appointed the MIT's first civilian to the post in 1991, he gave him one order: 'Deal with the PKK'," Yetkin said.

"The intelligence community is aware that priorities have changed since then and that now they have to deal with the Caucasus, al Qaeda, Afghanistan, Pakistan and nuclear issues."

Violence by the PKK, which took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, has eased since the group's leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured and jailed in 1999.

Fidan is the fourth civilian to head the MIT, which until the 1990s was controlled by the armed forces. But observers say his appointment has been met with opposition from the military, which regards him as too close to the Islamist-leaning AK Party and sees his promotion as politically motivated.

The military, which considers itself as the guardian of the country's secular principles, has removed four governments since 1960, most of them for perceived Islamic tendencies.

Erdogan's AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam, has clashed in the past with the military, which has seen its influence pared back by EU-driven reforms.

7. Turkish PM urges world powers to 'get rid of your own nukes'

May 28. 2010http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3895538,00.html

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says world powers must 'destroy their nuclear arsenal" if they want their stance on the Iranian nuclear program to be "persuasive". "The demand to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon comes from those who possess nuclear weapons," Erdogan said during a UN summit in Brazil. (News agencies)

8. Explosion in Mardin: one soldier woundedhttp://en.firatnews.com/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=17828 May 2010

One soldier was wounded when an explosion occurred in Mardin this morning

It has been stated that a soldier was injured due to the explosion which occurred in the early hours ofthe morning during the operation carried out by the Turkish army on the suburbs of Savur/Mardin.

The injured soldier was taken for treatment in Diyarbakır Military Hospital. The operation has been expanded with reinforcing units sent to the region.

9. Romanian,Turkish justice ministers sign economic cooperation protocol

Text of report in English by Romanian government news agency Agerpres

["Economic Cooperation Protocol Signed by Romanian and Turkish Justice Ministers" - Agerpres headline]

Bucharest, May 27 /Agerpres/ - Romanian Minister of Justice Catalin Predoiuand his counterpart from the Republic of Turkey Sadullah Ergin on Thursday, 27 May, signed an economic cooperation protocol between the two states.

According to a release the Romanian Ministry of Justice (MJ) sent to Agerpres on Thursday, the ceremony during which they signed the protocol of the Romania-Turkey joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, the 24thsession, was held at the headquarters of the

Romanian Centre for Promoting Foreign Investments and was preceded by a meeting between the two ministers.

Minister Predoiu again stated Romania's support to Turkey with a view to its integration into the European Union and presented the experience of the Romanian authorities as regards achieving the goals within the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, with emphasis on the implementation of the four codes and on combating corruption.

According to MJ, during the bilateral meeting both ministers maintained that justice underlay the development of the society and the cooperation between the two states must be developed at all levels.

"Romania and Turkey have a potential that has to be exploited to their mutual benefit. The Ministries of Justice can crucially contribute to the development of the business environment. It is very important for the economic relations between our states to develop, especially in the current economic context, and the good functioning of justice is one more guarantee for investors. We hope that the protocol we have singed today will be a real support for the development of the economic relations and of a good cooperation among the businessmen in the two states,' said Minister Predoiu.

The above-mentioned source also says that, through a memorandum Romania's Government approved on January 25, Minister Catalin Predoiu was designated joint chairman of the Romania-Turkey joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation and Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin was designated to the same position on behalf of Turkey.

Source: Agerpres news agency, Bucharest, in English 1556 gmt 27 May 10

10. Turkish president, Saudi prince review bilateral relations

Text of report in English by Saudi state-owned official news agency SPA website

[SPA headline: "Turkey's President receives Prince Khalid bin Sultan"]

Ankara, May 27, 2010, SPA - President Abdullah Gul of the Republic of Turkey received at the Presidential Palace here today Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs who currently on a visit to the Republic of Turkey.

During the audience, they reviewed relations between the two countries and ways of strengthening them.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan conveyed to the President the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defence and Aviation

and Inspector General.

In turn, the Turkish President extended greetings and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince, hailing the historical and distinguished relations between the two countries.

Meantime, the President Abdullah Gul held at the Presidential Palace a lunch banquet in honour of Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

The audience and banquet were attended by the members of the official delegation accompanying Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz.

Source: SPA news agency website, Riyadh, in English 0000 gmt 27 May 10

11. Brazil's Petrobras To Expand Exploration Research In Turkey

Publié le 28 Mai 2010 http://www.easybourse.com/bourse/international/news/840184/brazils-petrobras-to-

expand-exploration-research-in-turkey.html

- SAO PAULO -(Dow Jones)- Brazil's state-run energy company, Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR), or Petrobras, signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey's national oil company, Turkish Petroleum Corp., or TPAO, aiming to expand deep-water exploration research in the Black Sea region of Turkey, the company said late Thursday in a statement. In January, TPAO signed an agreement with Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and Petrobras to explore block 3922 (Sinop), located in the deep water of the Black Sea. Exxon Mobil and Petrobras have a 25% stake in the block, while TPAO have the remaining 50% stake. Petrobras began oil production activities in Turkey in February 2006, after successfully bidding to operate in two blocks in the Black Sea, the 3920 (Kirklareli) and 3922 (Sinop).

12. Turkish Defense Minister to join meeting in Macedonia

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=59157 

Friday, 28 May 2010 11:51

Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul will travel to Macedonia on Sunday, May 30.

Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul will travel to Macedonia on Sunday, May 30.

According to the Secretariat General of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, Gonul will attend a conference on south-east Europe and its integration with NATO in Ohri, Macedonia.

Gonul will return to Turkey on Tuesday.

 

13. Turkish role importance in Iraq’s stability – U.S. reportMay 28, 2010 - 08:11:52http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=132353BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The U.S. Institute of Peace said in its report on the Iraqi-Turkish relations that the Turkish role is very important in the stability of the whole region.The report examines the change in relations and what led to the improvements, and argues why sustained attention is needed to prevent events from undermining the progress achieved to date.The report “Turkey’s New Engagement in Iraq” underlined that relations between Turkey and Iraq, mainly with Kurdistan region, improved, especially after the withdrawal of U.S. troops.SH (P)

14. Suspected Turkish terrorist detained in Moscow - police source

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100528/159192416.html

09:4928/05/2010

Moscow traffic police detained a Turk in Moscow who is on the international wanted list on suspicion of terrorism, a police source said on Friday.

According to the source, a man by the name of Korkmaza, born in 1973, has been on the wanted list since August 21, 2008, and was detained at noon on Thursday as he was driving along Leningradskoye shosse in Moscow.

RIA Novosti was unable to confirm officially the detainment of Turk.

A spokesman for the Interpol Central National Bureau with the Russian Interior Ministry said the Turkish authorities were informed and the information was being verified.

MOSCOW, May 28 (RIA Novosti)

15. PKK: Despite ongoing Turkish operations, PKK committed to ceasefireFriday, May 28th 2010 9:02 AM

http://aknews.com/en/aknews/4/149849/

Sulaimaniyah, May 28 (AKnews) – A high-ranking official of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said late Thursday that despite the ongoing Turkish armed operations against them, they still continued their unilateral ceasefire.

"We do not respond to them, we are in a defense position but we will wait until the end of this month for the latest developments" Ahmet Deniz, official of PKK's foreign relations said.

Asked about the casualties of both side, Deniz replied: "So far, we haven't received the death toll; those figures will be officially announced every month"

"Our unilateral ceasefire (for PKK) was meaningless, therefore, we will wait until late this month and keep silent, if the Turkish state did not put the Kurdish detainees to fair trials and did not stop its attacks and military operations, then we will have our stand." Deniz had told AKnews earlier.

The PKK has announced its unilateral ceasefire in a show of support for a peaceful solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey away from violence.

"We sent our peace groups to Turkey, we did whatever we could for peace, but Turkey is tightening its position day after day" Deniz noted.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has been heavily bombarding the areas suspected of PKK presence over the past couple of weeks on the border territories and several clashes have taken place between the two sides leaving casualties.

16. Azerbaijani interior minister receives chief of Turkish gendarmerie command27.05.2010 22:07 http://en.trend.az/news/politics/enforcement/1695615.html

Azerbaijani Interior Minister, Colonel-General Ramil Usubov received the Chief of Turkish Gendarmerie Command, Colonel-General Mustafa Biyik, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, the press service of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan reported.

Usubov told about the considerable progress made since the signing of an inter-governmental protocol on cooperation between the Turkish Gendarmerie Command and the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, signed on October 31, 1997. He also said that the ties between these structures have further enhanced.

Mentioning a positive impact of Biyik's visit on the development of relations, Usubov expressed

his confidence that in the future the structures of the two brotherly countries will make good use of mutual respect. He also said that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, including the Internal Troops, formed as a force with a high level military training, ability to execute any order at any time.

Colonel-General Mustafa Biyik said that Turkey will always be close to Azerbaijan, would make all efforts for the further development of its army and internal troops, and that mutual respect and cooperation will always serve the interests of both brotherly peoples.  The meeting also focused on other bilateral issues of mutual interest.

17. Turkey says not right time to discuss Iran sanctions

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSAQ00242520100527

5.27.10

BRASILIA, May 27 (Reuters) - The moment is not right to discuss sanctions against Iran, which many countries fear harbors ambitions to develop nuclear weapons, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Brasilia on Thursday.

Iran has reassured Turkey that it is not seeking such weapons, Erdogan told reporters at a news conference alongside Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. (Reporting by Raymond Colitt)

18. Serbia, Bosnia ask Turkey to mediate over cancelled Silajdzic visit

Text of report in English by Serbian pro-western Belgrade-based Radio B92 website, on 27 May

Belgrade: Belgrade and Sarajevo have asked Turkey to help out in the "crisis" which occurred after cancellation of Haris Silajdzic's visit, daily Danas writes.

According to the Belgrade newspaper, they "each did so with their own interpretation of events".

Earlier this week, the Bosnian Muslim politician and Bosnian Presidency chairman cancelled his scheduled visit to Belgrade after he was informed he would not be able to visit convicted war criminal Ilija Jurisic in prison.

Jurisic, a Bosnian Croat politician, was sentenced to 12 years in jail in Serbia for his role in the May 1992 massacre of retreating Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) soldiers in Tuzla, eastern Bosnia.

Now according to the daily, Serbia has asked Turkey to influence Silajdzic to give up on the prison visit altogether.

"Bosnia," the daily writes, "has asked Turkey to help make the visit possible".

According to Danas, Bosnia's Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj was in Belgrade for two days this week, "away from the public eye". But, the article adds, Alkalaj and the rest of the delegation from Sarajevo left Belgrade yesterday after they realized that chances were minimal that Serbia would meet the demands concerning Jurisic any time soon.

"They arrived in Belgrade early in the morning on Tuesday May 25, not knowing that the situation regarding Silajdzic's visit would drastically complicate just a couple of hours later," says the newspaper.

The official explanation for the cancellation of the visit, planned for Monday, was airplane engine failure. Serbian Justice Ministry made a statement shortly after that, banning all visits to Zabela and Belgrade District prisons, until Friday.

Professor at Faculty of Political Sciences and former Ambassador Predrag Simic told the daily that Turkey was "obviously a mediator in order for the meeting to be held, and it had both motive and means to influence the overcoming of the gap between Belgrade and Sarajevo because the meeting in Istanbul, which was crowned with the 'tripartite' declaration, never would have happened without its intervention".

"Although everything has leaked to the public, there are still conditions to remove problems and find a solution with a diplomatic intervention. It's very important for Belgrade that relations with Sarajevo are improved, even at the cost of deterioration of relations with Banja Luka. It's obvious that Belgrade's priority is to provide Brussel's positive decision regarding ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and candidacy for the EU membership, through improvement of relations with Sarajevo. This could explain Belgrade's tolerant position concerning some statements made by Silajdzic," Simic was quoted as saying.

Source: Radio B92 text website, Belgrade, in English 0831 gmt 27 May 10